Florence Syme-Buchanan

A retired Australian policeman and private investigator says he’s driven to solve the mystery of a woman who disappeared overboard a yacht in Cook Islands waters because “she was someone’s daughter and shouldn’t be forgotten.”

When the Civil Court convened at 11am yesterday in the boardroom of the Public Service Commission, it signified a “great victory” for disabled people in the country, says a businessman too ill to climb the Justice ministry steps.

Government heavyweights swung into action yesterday, denying that salary cuts are in the pipeline for Ministry of Justice staff following an evaluation of several positions by the Office of the Public Service Commissioner.

The quick thinking of prime minister Henry Puna has largely been credited for saving a Cook Islands diplomatic official from permanent physical injury after the woman collapsed during a meeting in New Zealand.

Completing the final concept design for a sanitation reticulation system that may be installed first at Muri could take up to two years, says Finance minister Mark Brown who is spearheading the multi-million dollar project.